Tools for Finding Web Pages

• Search Engines: Search the Internet for sites related to your topic.
• Internet Indexes: Sites on the Internet which are organized according to topic.
• Evaluating Web Sites: Clues for identifying good web sites.

  Search Engines

  Internet Search Engines are designed to search web sites and identify the ones which contain the words or phrases in your search. There are a number of search engines including:
  • Google (Our favorite)
  • AltaVista

  
  Many can be found by clicking the Search Button on your browser

  Internet Indexes

  These sites enable you to locate information which has already been arranged by subject. Some of the more important Indexes include:
  • Yahoo
  • Librarian's Index to the Internet
  • BUBL LINK

  Evaluating Web Sites

  Anyone can publish on the World Wide Web. And just about anyone does. The quality of web pages range from excellent to abysmal, which means that you have to critically evaluate the information found in any web page. There are no ironclad rules, but we offer a few suggestions:
  • Look for credentials. Is the author someone with a Ph.D.? Are they a Doctor? A Lawyer? Are their credentials important to the topic they are writing about?
  • Is there a bibliography that cites references? Are those references credible?
  • Ask yourself if the person or organization has an agenda. Does their page sound like propaganda? Does it sound like some drunk in a bar who just won't shut up? There are a lot of cranks with web pages.
  • URLs ( the address of the Web Page ) often tell you a lot about who's is sponsoring a site - those ending in .EDU, .GOV, .ORG or .COM are University, Government, Organizational, or Commercial sites.
  • Check when the page was created and updated. Some information is timeless, while other information is outdated in hours.
  • Ask yourself who is the intended audience. Is it children? The general public? Researchers? Potential customers? Other webloggers? Britney Spears fans? Graphics are often an important clue as academic publications rarely use images unless they are relevant to the topic at hand (e.g.: Photos taken from the Space Shuttle for Astronomy; Works of Art for a Art History Class). The writing is another clue. If it reads like it's written for children, it probably isn't going to contain important research.
  • Do you find yourself closing lots of pop-up ads? Academic web sites aren't usually stuffed with ads.
  • Does the site consist of primary sources (original documents such as letters, memos, diaries, annual reports, etc)? These can be important resources for research.
  • Is the page is a creation of a professional association, scholarly society, or publisher with a reputation for publishing quality research in their field? Often your professor can tell you who are the leading publishers.